The construction of the first private highway began in Russia

In Russia, the construction of the first private highway began. The length of the "Meridian" route is 2000 km, it will pass from the "Sagarchin" crossing point on the border with Kazakhstan - construction was started there - up to the border with the Republic of Belarus, Deputy Transport Minister Yevgeny Dietrich said.

Constructs a route of the same name LLC "Meridian". It was registered in 2013, its co-owners - the chairman of the board of directors of CJSC Russian Holding Company Alexander Ryazanov and Roman Nesterenko. Ryazanov was deputy chairman of the board of Gazprom, now he is a member of the board of directors of Russian Railways.

The motorway will be paid, it will be designed primarily for the transport of transit cargo. In 2016, the government transport commission recognized Meridian as a branch from the Russia-Western China transport corridor.

The construction of the road is estimated at 594 billion rubles. without VAT in the prices of 2017, told two people close to the "Meridian" ("Vedomosti" expect the company's comment). To simplify financing, the construction will be divided into several stages, Vedomosti's interlocutors said. The estimate of the first stage, according to them, is 120 billion rubles, and it is supposed to be financed primarily through the issue of bonds.

Approximately 80% of the land required for the construction of the road, the company has already bought, said Dietrich, stressing that the Ministry of Transport will support the construction of toll roads in Russia.

The project is planned to be implemented using special investment contracts of SPIC 2.0, two federal officials told "Vedomosti". The plan is in force, interlocutors close to "Meridian" confirm. The draft of the improved SPIC mechanism should be adopted in the spring session, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in March.

Special investment contracts with the government provide the investor with stable business conditions and tax benefits, as well as the ability to transfer some of the risks, including political ones, to the state.